The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-01

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to see word quoted in different forms,
not knowing the reason of it. For in
stance, the word dion is sometimes
Amos, or aiona, or aionas. These forms,
and several Others, are all correct in
certain cases, depending on the way
they are used, and the words with which
they are associated. Where nothing
depends on the form of the word, it
should always be given as it is in the
lexicon, or dictionary, namely, aion ];
and when spoken, the should have the
long sound. The Greek words, in the
heading to this article, occupy a very
important position in the Bible, both in
the Greek New Testament, and the
Greek version of the Old. The first
word, cas-, is proposition, and commonly
means to or into; but in the clause above,
it has the sense of unto. The next word,
ton, is one form of the article, there be-
ing several forms, to agree with the
noun to which it belongs. The last
word, so often seen in our church pa
pers, is aion, in the accusative case,
answering to our objective; and this is
why il is given as aiona. The preposi-
tion that governs it requires that it be
in this case. The words, read together,
mean, unto the age; but in the Script
ures are translated forever.
These statements are made with the
hope that what have to say on so old
and stale a subject may be read with
greater interest than it might otherwise
be. And though the meaning of aion
is often discussed. and as often by the
writer as any one, will venture to
predict that shall say some new things.
Unto the age. No one can help seeing
that this expression excludes the idea
of endless, or forever, with our modern
and popular usage of the latter term.
When we say that anything will last
unto a certain period, we express linn
tied duration. Nor does it make any
difference how long period the age
may denote, in this expression-unto the
age-for the meaning is, unto that pc
riod, and not during its continuance.
Even unto eternity. is limited period,
for eternity itself IS not included.
This a1g1nsut against the common
understanding Of This phrase. as ex-
pressing ENDLESS duration. simple and
conclusive Rs II is, LBS seldom, if ever
been ussd in THIS way by our writers.
1t is certainly worthy of being remem-
bered. Stated in as few words as posi-
BILE, the argument is this-that the orig
inal three words in Greek, which are
translated forever, do positively ex-
clude such meaning. The phrase is a
singular one, to be used as it is in our
Bible. How it originated, is an inter-
esting and important inquiry. 1t is not
a classical phrase. The words are good
Greek anywhere but in this form, and
its Biblical usage, the expression COM
posed of them is not classical, but
Biblical Greek, that is, Greek words.
with a Hebrew idiom.
The phrase had its origin in the Mes
sianic ideas and hopes of the ancient
Hebrews, who, from the earliest period
of. their history, looked forward to the
coming of the Messiah, and spoke of
their institutions as preliminary to that
great event. They are all called ever
lasting, and are said to continue for
ever, in our version Of the Bible. The
last in the Hebrew is adj olona or Gd hG-
Olana, to the age, meaning the Messianic
age. The phrase under consideration
is an exact equivalent of the Hebrew
for which it stands. In the Hebrew,
the article ho is sometimes omitted. So
in the Greek, we few times lind els
aiona, instead of eis ton 0iono.
The Hebrew for everlasting has also
olam, age, but in different form, and
referring to the Mosaic, and not the
Messianic age. The everlasting priest
hood is, in the Hebrew, the priesthood
of the age, that is, the Mosaic age,
probably meaning, during that period,
and, of course, not everlasting in our
sense of this word. What motive could
have prompted such rendering, so as
to acquit the translatoTs and revisers of
the charge Of fraud, would not under
take to say. 1t has the appearance of
attaching false meaning to olam, so as
to give countenance to the same false
rendering of di0n. The two forms in the
Hebrew-the one, of the age, rendered
everlasting; and the other, unto the age,
rendered forever-cover the same period;
for during the Mosaic age, and unto the
Messianic age, denote the same dura-
ton though age in one form is not the
same as in the other. l hardly need
remark, how utterly absurd, to trans
late these forms everlasting and forever.
As cas- ton aiona originated in the Old
Testament, this fact determines its
usage in the New. The term aion,
when used alone, in the New Test
ament, nearly always denotes the Mo
sale economy which was still in progress.
When the word is used and applied to
the Christian dispensatiOn, in the ex-
preston before US, though the same